


Just Another Simulation

by backtoblack101



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Angst, Canonical Character Death, F/F, So the root/shaw tag is fucking flooded with angsty fics rn, consider this my contribution
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-01
Updated: 2016-06-01
Packaged: 2018-07-11 16:56:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7061314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/backtoblack101/pseuds/backtoblack101
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shaw won't admit it (not even to herself) but she misses the sound of Roots voice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Another Simulation

**Author's Note:**

> Here, sure aren't we all gutted. Though tbf my money's on half the cast being dead by the end of the season anyway, I'm just pretty devastated it was Root that went first. 
> 
> Still though, we've got her voice and that's what matters.

_Accessing camera feeds._

_Located: primary asset - Sameen Shaw._

Shaw glanced left, then right. There was no one around. She glanced up quickly, folded her arms across her chest.

"Can you hear me?"

The red dot on the camera began to blink. Shaw recognized the code instantly.

-.-- . ...

 _Yes_.

Shaw huffed. "Okay." She looked around her again, still no one looking.

This was so stupid.

"I want you to call me," she admitted quietly. Part of her hoped She didn't hear her. "John told me..." She paused, this was so stupid. "He told me you chose her voice." She shrugged at nothing in particular. "I want you to call me."

The red light blinked again.

\--- -.- .- -.--

 _Okay_.

The pay phone next to her began to ring.

Fuck. This was so stupid.

She dragged her feet towards it. Checked twice more to be sure she wasn't being watched, then picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey sweetie."

God, it really did sound like her. Right down to the vaguely southern lilt in her voice.

(Then again Shaw knew just how convincing simulations could be.)

Shaw felt the tension in her shoulders slowly curling uncomfortably and spreading to her gut.

"Hey..."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." It was an automatic response. One she hadn't planned. There was silence on the other side of the line. She knew she should be honest.

This was so stupid.

"I had a dream." She paused, silently cursed her own inability to express herself. "A nightmare," she corrected. "That I was in another simulation." She paused again, glanced around, leaned in closer to the receiver. "I'm having a tough day... Telling the difference."

She had good days and bad days. She didn't bother telling The Machine it had been Root that helped her through the bad days. Root would have known without needing to be told.

"Remember what I told you Sameen." Root (The Machine, whatever) sounded teasing, familiar. Just for a second Shaw let herself believe. "We're all just shapes. We're all just simulations."

Shaw nodded but didn't speak. Couldn't speak. She'd never been in a simulation before where Root hadn't been there. She'd always made sure of that. 7,000 times she'd made sure of that and the one time it counted she hadn't been able to do a thing.

"Yea," she agreed eventually. "Just shapes."

She wasn't sad. At least not in a way most people would consider sad. Wasn't angry anymore either. Just oddly hollow. It annoyed her. It'd been annoying her for weeks now. She didn't tell Root (The Machine) that though.

Fuck, this was stupid.

"I should go." She straightened herself up, stepped a fraction of an inch away from the phone.

"Okay sweetie." Root (The Machine) didn't sound sad. Shaw appreciated that. She just sounded resigned, understanding. "Call again soon?"

Shaw shrugged in non verbal response. "Maybe."

She hung up before Root (The Machine) could say another word.

She turned to the camera. "Thanks."

She lifted her hood and disappeared back into the crowd.

**Author's Note:**

> C'mere I've never done an angsty fic for this fandom. Also Shaw's not really the character of associate with emotional angsty shit so maybe tell me what you thought?? Lemme know if I did an okay job?? Etc??


End file.
